Before I begin telling you how I feel about
Christmas I want you to know that I am behind on Journey of Honor because of
illness and a divorce in my family. Chaos, in other words, has taken my
ability to focus.
I hope you will understand
and continue visiting my site and waiting for Journey of Honor to reach the
Oregon Territory.
***
As the Christmas season rolls around my first
thoughts are of the birth of Jesus. I love the Christmas hymns. I love the
Christmas story. My favorite person who is often overlooked in the birth of
Jesus is Simeon. Simeon was a very old man, God told him that he wouldn’t let
him die until he held the newborn king. So, Simeon spent day after day near the
temple waiting for families with new babies to come and pay taxes. He watched
carefully realizing the parents of the Christ child would be poor. One day a
young couple entered the temple with their baby and a scrawny bird as an
offering. Simeon’s heart leapt—this baby was The King . He boldly approached
Mary and Joseph and asked to hold the baby. He then told them their son was the
Messiah, something they thought was only known to them. He told them he was
able to die and enter the kingdom of Heaven because he had fulfilled the
prophecy. He was going to Heaven with glory because he had fulfilled the
prophecy of the Lord. This story is from “The
Indescribable Gift” by Richard Exley. Simeon’s story be found in Luke
2:21-38
My next set of thoughts becomes a reflection
of the hustle and bustle of commercialized holidays. I have always loved the
beauty of Christmas—the decorated trees, colored lights, brisk weather, music, and
the promise of some little something in a nicely wrapped box.
These days the joy is diminished, but I still
believe in magic. I love the idea of someone making wishes come true. We can
all “pretend” to be elves by visiting school classrooms with stories, hugs, and
offerings of love. We can drop gifts off in designated places. I love to see
children interacting with Santa. Their innocence is contagious. My
granddaughters keep me smiling and believing. As they get older, it will fall
to me to make sure they carry the love and magic of Christmas in their hearts. I will always believe in the spirit and magic
and love of Christmas.
Wishing each of you the blessings of the
season.
Until next time....Journey onward to a new year,
Love, Nona
